Literary Magazine

“Belly of Hope” by Anna Mullins
It’s a Wednesday in fall. The sky is gray to the point where it almost melts into the sidewalk and the two become indistinguishable. From the gray comes large, flat, waxy red, orange and brown shapes easing their way down from the trees and sky. It’s like dry, colored rain cascading down onto the large evergreen colored awning; every few minutes, a leaf sticks and one of the white letters is temporariliy blotted out. There are seven people crowded around the red brick building all wearing white t-shirts, holding hands and heads bowed. No chanting, no religion streaming from their mouths, no warnings or protest signs with disfigured fetuses. Their heads are bowed and hands clasped, as if they are praying…. read more